In the aftermath of Arsenal’s victory over Porto in the Champions League round of 16-second leg clash at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, former Arsenal star Paul Merson has boldly asserted that the Gunners present the most formidable challenge to reigning champions Manchester City under their manager Pep Guardiola in this season’s competition.

Reflecting on Arsenal’s impressive performance, Merson emphasized their potential to disrupt Manchester City’s title defence in the Champions League.

Despite City’s status as the reigning champions, the 55-year-old believes that Arsenal’s strength over two legs makes them the biggest threat to City’s dominance in the tournament.

Speaking candidly to Sky Sports, Merson expressed his confidence in Arsenal’s ability to make a significant impact in the Champions League, provided they can avoid facing Manchester City.

He acknowledged Arsenal’s past struggles in European competitions but hailed their progress and evolution as a top-tier team.

“Over two legs, they [Arsenal] are Manchester City’s biggest threat, in my opinion,” Merson said.

“I think Arsenal can go a long way if they can stay away from Manchester City.

“It’s got the elephant out of the room. They’ve been going out of these competitions too often, many years ago at this stage, and they’ve gone through tonight.

“Arsenal are moving forward, they are a very good team.”

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